WWF survey captures first images of Pallas’s cat, five other wild cats at 4,200m in Arunachal

In a landmark discovery for Indian wildlife research, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has recorded the first photographic evidence of the elusive Pallas’s cat in Arunachal Pradesh’s icy high-altitude rangelands. 

The survey, conducted above 4,200 metres, also documented five other wild cats — the snow leopard, clouded leopard, leopard cat, common leopard, and marbled cat.

The survey was carried out by WWF-India under its project Reviving Trans-Himalayan Rangelands — A Community-led Vision for People and Nature, supported by the UK government’s Darwin Initiative, the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department, and local communities. Between July and September 2024, the field team deployed 136 camera traps across 83 locations spanning 2,000 sq km of West Kameng and Tawang districts. The cameras remained active for more than eight months in extreme weather conditions.

The results revealed several new elevation records for India: the common leopard at 4,600 metres, the clouded leopard at 4,650 metres, the marbled cat at 4,326 metres, the Himalayan wood owl at 4,194 metres, and the grey-headed flying squirrel at 4,506 metres. WWF said these could be among the highest global elevation records for some species.

Also Read: SC seeks Centre’s reply on PIL accusing Arunachal CM of granting contracts to kin

While the Pallas’s cat was recorded slightly below its global maximum known range of about 5,050 metres, WWF emphasised that the sighting is highly significant and extends the species’ known distribution in the eastern Himalayas, adding to earlier records from Sikkim, Bhutan, and Nepal. Camera traps even documented snow leopards and common leopards scent-marking at the same location.

“This discovery is remarkable. The presence of multiple wild cats at such extreme elevations opens exciting new opportunities for ecological research and conservation,” said Taku Sai, Senior Project Officer at WWF-India. Rishi Kumar Sharma, head of the Himalayas Programme at WWF-India, added that the discovery of Pallas’s cat in Arunachal Pradesh is a reminder of “how little we still know about life in the high Himalayas.”

Ngilyang Tam, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife and Biodiversity), hailed the finding as a milestone for eastern Himalayan research and urged continued investment in scientific monitoring and conservation efforts.

The survey underscores the extraordinary biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh’s high-altitude landscapes, which support rare species like snow leopards, Pallas’s cats, and clouded leopards alongside centuries-old pastoral traditions.

(Inputs from PTI)